OZARK JOURNEY
YOUTH PROGRAMMING
Preservation & participation…that’s what Kelly & Donna of Still on the Hill convey in their exciting program AN OZARK JOURNEY (designed for 3rd-6th but can be adaptable for ALL ages.)
Paying homage to the old while making a new contribution to Ozark culture, they demonstrate the living, ongoing process of folk music. Rousing renditions of timeless old mountain songs are combined with their own original music that celebrates Ozark history and it’s many unsung heroes.
Over the last decade the duo has acquired a fabulous collection of handmade folk instruments made by Ozark builders.
A fiddle carved by Denton Boze with a pocket knife and adorned with an image of the Liberty Bell on the back.
A fretless Yellow-Cat Banjo built by Jim Lee with a fantastic story (the original was made of cat skin, this replica is deer hide).
An 8-string fiddle with a lion’s head carved where the scroll should be, a creation of 90 year old Elliot Smith from Jasper, Arkansas.
A fiddle & guitar made by legendary Ozark instrument builder Ed Stilley from Hog Scald Holler, complete with innards of springs and saw blades.
These and other homemade instruments demonstrate the resourcefulness of the folks that settled the hills over 100 years ago.
An Ozark Journey rounds out an Arkansas history curriculum and helps students realize the value of our heritage and the important role we all play in keeping it alive.
“I would not hesitate to have this group back to Newport or to recommend them to other schools. It’s rare to find a program of this quality, so I want to thank you.”